Guerilla gardeners besieged the town centre to offer people packs of seeds in grenade-like containers, urging them to “seed bomb” empty green space.

Advocating an “explosion” of fruit and flowers, the Europe-wide Green Living Room roadshow occupied Town Square in Barking yesterday, also offering free bicycle repairs in what co-ordinator Jo Sinclair said was a victory for nature.

“We want to show people what urban green infrastructure can do,” she said. “It’s about getting communities to do something different.”

The Green Living Room roadshow continues in Barking Town Square today.